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Philadelphia-based composer and multi-instrumentalist David Cohen is a cancer survivor who exemplifies the phrase “beauty for ashes.” While he never suffered from the disease himself, he watched his beloved wife, Tatyana, die of ovarian cancer, a process that nearly stripped him of his will to make music. While she was alive, he became an active advocate for patient-centered care, a role he continues today. After her death, he recorded a farewell to his life as a musician, which won an unprecedented award.

In the end, David never gave up music; the passion was too great, and, as he notes, his wife would never have wanted that. Instead, he takes his guitar into hospitals, playing for and talking with “amazing people.” He also took his guitar to the U.K, where he set up a tour that included a stop at the famed Troubadour in London, launching pad for storied artists like his idol and inspiration, Joan Armatrading.